Chapter Twenty-Nine : Never

"Y-You're leaving us behind..."

For Luffy, death was something he never experienced. But he knew one thing, death is not kind. It took people away from you and you will never see them again.

The thought of death scared others but for Luffy, it never did. He was not scared of dying. He had already accepted it as a natural part of life especially since his dream is harder to achieve than others. He was prepared to give his all since he didn't want to have any regrets.

What he was scared of the most was losing people dear to him.

Death means the end. And that's what will happen to Roger.

And for what seemed like a hundred times that week, Luffy broke down again. He hugged Roger tightly and all Roger could do was rub his back softly. At first, it was just hiccups but as Luffy heard Roger coos and reassurance, he wailed louder.

"To be honest, this is hard to take at once, Roger," Dadan stated with a long sigh. She was unable to look at him, her gaze fell on the skies outside.

"It is, but it is the truth," Roger answered, voice low. "May I ask you to look after these three?"

She scoffed loudly, finally looking at him. Annoyance was visible on her face as her brows were furrowed in an offended manner. "I think we already established that. I can't say no to a dying man's wish, eh?"

"Thank you." He bowed his head slightly as a smile formed on his lips.

"I-I still can't believe it..." Sabo gawked. His hazel eyes were wide as he stared at the man. "You're dying?"

"You know, Sabo, they say you die twice— I guess for me it's technically true." Roger laughed humorlessly. "The first is when they bury you and the second is when someone last mentions your name."

Luffy's eyes widened as realization hit the boy. "You will never die..."

"Yes, my legacy and will still live on even if I don't," Roger confirmed while wiping the tears streaming from Luffy's eyes with a wide smile. "I'll never die."

Luffy sniffled loudly. He rubbed his face using his shoulders, removing the tears and snot. He looked at Roger with hopeful eyes. Roger's explanation awakened something in him. It gave him a new perspective that changed everything at that moment.

Gol D. Roger is a legendary pirate that left an unforgettable mark on the world. His name was already written on history books for the next generations to read. Parents will still tell his story to their children and onto their children's children. The King of the Pirate's legacy will go on forever. No one will ever extinguish it, not even the World Government with their never-ending lies. Whether his reputation is good or bad, it didn't matter. He was immortal in a way.

"This may be out of topic," Roger sighed wistfully. He grabbed the straw hat from Luffy's neck and put it on the boy. "Luffy, do you know that this straw hat used to be mine?"

Luffy blinked several times while he processed it. "Really!?"

"That brat's hat has been that old?" Dadan asked.

"So you're the one who gave it to Shanks!" Luffy exclaimed loudly.

Roger chuckled and nodded, ruffling the young boy's hair.

"I don't understand, Roger-san." Sabo intervened, still quivering. "Why are you telling us that now?"

"Sabo, Luffy," Roger called out. His voice had seriousness in it. He stared at the brothers with soft eyes. "I have one last request for the two of you."

"What is it?" Luffy asked with curious eyes. It's unusual for someone to ask a favor of him. The boy will surely make it come true, especially if it's the first and last time.

With a grin, Roger responded. "In my place, I want you to give something to Ace."

Luffy and Sabo listened to him carefully. Even if it's the last thing they will do.

The cliff was always the answer whenever he wanted to be alone. It gave him peace, enough to clear his head from the confusion. The sea was there for him to listen to his problems. It gave him comfort, enough to keep him sane in these insane times. Closing his gray eyes, the breeze blew calmly doing its magic.

But that didn't work now.

Emptiness dawn upon Ace. It was always there and it never left him. A never-ending dark void that consumes everything and he was left feeling nothing. Time seemed to have stopped that moment. He cannot remember how long was he sitting in there.

He wondered why the world is so cruel to him. He was happy in these past days— the happiest he has ever been in his whole life. And yet, that happiness faded again replace by pain ten times a fold. The world seemed to have to an agreement that he deserved to suffer.

He sighed in frustration, pulling his black hair. It was all unfair. He was not naive. He knew that life is fickle. You never know what will happen next. But nothing had prepared him for this one. It hit him without warning. An excruciating torment that has no remedy. A new pain he had to deal with every day. The pain will always be there and will never leave. He just had to deal with it as you go on with his life.

For once in Ace's life, he finally learned what it was like to be accepted. To be loved and adored unconditionally. To know what it was like to have a father who will do everything for him. It was something he yearned for all his life. But now, he was stupid to think that that wish will last forever.

The bushes made a sound. Heavy footsteps had echoed sharply. Ace could tell who it was without turning his head back. He needed to face it him now. Running was easy but not a long-term solution. There was no way he could hide in this place forever.

"Why?" That was all that came from Ace's mouth, asking his father from behind. He was unsure of what it meant. It asked everything all at once.

"It may sound like I'm making excuses..." Roger sighed heavily. "It was during our last voyage when I learned about my disease. There was no cure available but we still sought a doctor. We find Crocus and he was able to lengthen my life even for just a few months..."

Ace remained silent, not moving at all.

"We managed to find the last island in the Grand Line and people declared me as the King of the Pirates after that." Roger continued. "I'm not the type of a person who wanted to die on a bed. And so, I surrendered myself to the Marines."

"Y-You did?" Ace gawked, looking back to stare at him with wide eyes.

Roger nodded slightly. "I'm sorry for leaving you behind, Ace."

"And now you're doing it again for the second time." He said, spitting it at his father like poison.

He heard an echo in his mind that spoke using his voice.

I'm scared of losing people that I love...

Those were the words he told Sabo days ago. And yet, it is happening right now. The past Ace would never care about what would happen to his father. He would never even complain about it. But the saying was right all along. People change and that's what happened to Ace.

At first, the change his father had caused wasn't noticeable. All Ace felt on his first appearance was pure anger and hatred towards the man. But once his father told him how he meant, his walls broke. And then Ace found himself wanting to see him every day. Just the simple training sessions with him or the stories he would tell, he always craved those and they were the highlights of his day.

"B-But I don't want to be alone..." He choked out.

"Who said something about being alone?" Roger chuckled while patting his son's back. "Sabo, Luffy. Come here."

Ace looked up and saw his sworn brothers. He didn't even realize that they were in there in the first place. It was Sabo who grabbed Luffy's hands and slowly approached them.

Roger gave them his signature grin. He laid his hands on Luffy and Sabo's shoulders, maintaining eye contact with them.

"I'm proud to call you my sons."

Ace's gray eyes widened for a second. But then again, his father always did things like that. And somehow, it gave Ace a warm feeling and he was sure that was what his brothers felt also. A smile finally formed on Ace's face, enjoying the dumbfounded look of his brothers.

"Sons?" Sabo repeated while he blinked rapidly.

"Are you adopting me and Sabo?" Luffy inquired excitedly, giving a small hopeful smile.

"The brothers of my son are also my sons. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does." Luffy laughed. "Can I call you Dad, too? I don't know if I have one but I would love to call you that!"

"You do have parents, Luffy. Everyone has one." Roger answered. "You can call me whatever you want."

Ace glanced at Sabo and they shared a look. Luffy didn't even know that he had already met his biological father. Ace didn't have the heart to tell him now though.

"Okay, Dad." Luffy grinned.

"Dad," Sabo said with an awkward tone. But he quickly rewarded Roger a genuine smile. "I do like the sound of it."

Roger seemed to be taken aback by it. He bit down his lips and turned his back. The brothers could hear his snorts though.

"Are you seriously crying again?" Ace questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, you three always do that." Roger looked back again. He quickly wiped away his tears using his shoulders. "Come on, give me a hug!"

Luffy immediately wrapped his arms around him. Sabo joined in with a big grin. Ace was in the middle and was forced onto it. Although, he appreciated it more than ever.

They stayed like that for a while. They all sat down in the grass and stared at the horizon. The sun was slowly setting. The hues of yellow and orange were present that made it more of a mesmerizing sight. They were all lost in the moment together. No one was speaking up, just silently enjoying the scenery in front of them.

Ace could feel the warmness they were radiating. Somehow, being sandwich by them was a great feeling. Then he realized that this would probably be the last time it would ever happen. He snuggled in his father's chest, his body slowly relaxing. He would never get a chance like this again and so he decided to cherish the moment.

"The sea is beautiful, isn't it?" Roger commented after a while.

"Will you miss it?" Ace mumbled.

"Of course, I will. The sea always calls me for adventures." He answered in a soft tone. "And you will also experience the same thing a few years from now."

"We didn't learn Haki that you're trying to teach us..." Luffy stated with a frown.

"It's not too late. Everything takes time."

"But you told us we need to learn it if we want to sail in the Grand Line," Sabo added.

"Haki is unlocked mostly in life-threatening situations like what you did at the pier, Ace."

Ace shuddered. He almost forgot about that incident.

"And it manifests the more you fight. It's not something you will get in less than a month of training." Roger continued.

"Jiichan knows it too, right? Maybe, he can teach us instead!" Luffy suggested optimistically.

"He'll probably beat us more if that's the case." Sabo laughed gently.

"Yes, he can. Just tell him that I told you the basics." Roger stated. "Let's go back to Dadan's? I know you guys hadn't had your lunch yet. It's getting dark."

"But we wanna spend more time with you..." Luffy replied in a low tone.

"You'll be gone by tonight..." Ace agreed.

"Can't we just savor this moment?" Sabo suggested.

"There's no point in starving yourselves. I may be gone but you need to continue, okay?"

And the three brothers did not try arguing back.

Dinner was silent. The movements that the bandits made were slow. There was no stealing food and fight for survival that night. But still, one thing was obvious. The bandits were all giving glances at Roger who was just sitting in the center enjoying the food. He was not even aware of the tension in the room.

Sabo was not used to the silence. He preferred them acting like wild animals being controlled by their instincts. Maybe in that way, Sabo can fool himself that everything was fine. The bandits had obviously heard from Dadan about what Roger revealed.

Sabo was unsure about what he's feeling. There was still uncertainty within him but their father was not a type of person who will lie. This was all happening too quick. He didn't felt like crying but there was a swirling melancholy inside of him. He didn't want this. No one wanted this. It was unfair and cruel but that didn't matter since they can't do anything about it now.

"Everyone," Roger called out after burping loudly. "I'll be gone tonight.

All of the bandits stopped eating and just stare at him for the longest time. And all at once, they started yelling making Sabo put his hands over his ears.

"So what Boss said earlier is true!"

"Aww, man! We'll miss you!"

"Who will hunt food for us now?"

"Roger! You're a nice guy!"

"Yeah! Fuck the government! You're nothing like what they said!"

"Please don't leave us with them! You're the only one who can control those brats!"

Sabo blinked repeatedly, surprised by the words he was hearing. He shared a looked with his brothers that mimics his face. They never knew the extent of Roger's relationship with the bandits. But based on their reaction, it was a good one. Sabo cannot help but smile because of it. Roger was one of the nicest men he had ever met and he was glad they thought so too.

"Thanks. I appreciate it all." He laughed.

"No, seriously man. Come back!"

"Can you just stay here? We'll give you the best sake in town!"

"Can you all just shut up and eat!" Dadan shouted, making everyone turn at her in surprise.

"Boss!" One bandit yelled bravely. "Can we bring out the booze? Let's have a banquet!"

"Yeah! Let's throw Roger a party!"

The blond boy heard all kinds of agreements from them. If that was their plan in the first place, it explained why the meat set out in the room was more than the usual.

Finding no reason to turn them down, Dadan snort and continued to eat. "Do whatever you like."

That earned every shout of happiness from the bandits. Sabo and Ace exchanged a look again. He saw how Ace shrugged his shoulders, probably used to his father's antics by now. The bandits were not only wanting to throw Roger a party, but they also just want an excuse to drink booze at every opportunity there might be.

Within a minute, the sake was set out. Everyone was quick with their movements, knowing that time was running out. The smell of booze became evident in the room. Sabo saw Luffy scrunched his nose at the smell. He was always sensitive to it.

"No, thanks." Roger politely declined the sake being offered to him by a bandit. "I don't want to drink tonight."

"A shame..." The bandit replied. "But if that's what you want. Just eat all the meat then. We have tons of 'em!"

Roger immediately agreed and grabbed all the meat he could get. But when he turned back and looked at the trio, there was a chopstick sticking between his nose and mouth.

At the sight, Sabo and Luffy immediately broke into a laughing fit.

"W-What the hell!?" Ace choked back. "Why do you have chopsticks on your n-nose!?"

Sabo could see Ace struggling not to laugh at the sight. But then, Ace couldn't help it after all. He also ended up laughing together with his brothers, falling back on the hardwood floor.

"C-Can I-" Luffy laughed loudly again, choking on his words. "Can I do that, too!?"

"Here, Luffy," Roger handed him some spare chopsticks. He clapped his hands and let his voice be heard in the whole hut. "I don't want my farewell party to be gloomy. Come on, everyone! Let us sing!"

Collective cheers of ayes were heard. And for a moment, Sabo forgot his sadness.

The party ended almost an hour ago. There were still some bandits who were awake. They were drinking but they keep their voices down out of respect to the children and their father.

In the last hour, they went back to the confines of their room upstairs. The three sat at Roger's lap, enjoying the warmth he gave in the cold night. The window was opened allowing the wind to enter freely. The only thing that gave them the light was the bright moon.

At first, none of them was sure what to do but they settled immediately on their usual habit. It was easier to pretend that way. Roger will tell them stories about his life. He's been doing it for weeks now but he seemed to not run out of it. And while he was in the middle of it, Ace realized that he will never fully hear his father's full story.

Ace cannot describe the scene in one sentence. Ever since he met his father, he was always confused about his feelings. The closest thing of a word to describe it was madness. Here he was, silently listening to his father, pretending like it's not the last time. It was something Ace has mastered years ago. No matter how bad the situation is, he can always act like it's normal and not out of the ordinary.

Ace looked at the clock that was in the wall. It was the last minute and all of them were silent once again. There were so many things need to be said but his mouth cannot let it out because he didn't know where to begin.

"I'm sorry."

Getting that out of him was not hard at all. It was his pride that always stopped him from apologizing. Lowering it was the hard part but he finally did it. It was better to let it out now or he might regret it later in life. Somehow, saying those words made him feel better and at peace.

Ace looked at Roger's eyes with sincerity. Roger seemed unfazed by it, though he managed to give him a small smile. He rubbed his back gently and Ace felt more comfortable than ever.

"I'm sorry too, Ace."

And Ace accepted it without any complaint. He was tired of arguing with his father whenever he apologized. They both made mistakes but it didn't matter at that moment.

"This sucks..." Luffy whimpered, finally saying a word.

"I know."

"We're gonna miss you," Sabo mumbled in a hurt tone.

"I know."

"This is it then..." Ace whispered, biting down his lips. "Thank you for—"

Roger pulled them in a tight hug and that's when Ace lost it. He clung to his father in a way he had never done before. His body was wracked with an onslaught of tears and sobs. Only one thing was on his mind on that point. The memories of the past months repeating on his mind for millions of time.

His father is going to leave him again and will never come back.

He spent his whole life hating the man in front of him. And now, he cannot imagine living his life without him. It was at that moment that he realized that this is it.

The stories he told every night that made them hopeful for the future.

His soothing voice helping them to sleep better.

The way he trained the three of them to be stronger.

His laugh whenever one of them did something silly.

The foolish grin he gave to help alleviate their mood.

His hugs of reassurance that support them whenever they're down.

His smile, his voice, his everything.

All of it was to become memories that they will never experience again.

Ace did not even realize the impact his father had on his life. It's not about knowing a long time, it was the effect of the person that will leave behind. Because that impact his father left, will last for a lifetime.

"No matter what happened, just remember that I'm proud of you. Your mother and I love you, always will." Roger gave them his smile. "Someday, I want to hear all your stories."

"Watch over us, o-okay?" Ace said, with one final request.

"I promise."

And once Ace opened his eyes,

His father was no longer there.

A/N: Editing this is draining. Angst is not really my thing. Goodbye scenes are always crushing my poor soul...

Thank you for the follows, favorites and reviews. See you next week.